This invention relates to a discharge control attachment for a combine harvester and particularly to an attachment for a combine having a straw chopping device incorporating guide fins.
In recent years it has become more and more common for combine harvesters to be fitted with a straw chopping device of the type comprising a rotary bladed drum which rotates about a horizontal axis. The drum grasps the straw as it is ejected from the rear of the combine, chops it into finer pieces and discharges it rearwardly of the combine for spreading across the field. In addition, a set of fins is mounted on the rear of the combine for directing the material outwardly and downwardly so that it is spread fairly widely across the field to avoid material collecting at particular points which can interfere with planing and growth of a subsequent crop. Such an apparatus can be removed from the combine in many cases but it is difficult to do so and a lengthy process.
Flax is a crop which has particular problems in relation to the straw. Often this straw is merely an undesired waste and is burnt following harvesting so as to avoid it collecting and interfering with the subsequent crop. In order to carry out this burning it is often necessary to rake the field in a subsequent process thus of course incurring fuel costs and requiring further labor to carry out the extra process.
A further problem which arises with flax is that it blows very easily in the wind in view of its low density and therefore swaths of the straw are very unstable and can readily blow in the wind interfering with further harvesting of the crop. In many cases therefore when the wind reaches a certain velocity it is necessary to cease harvesting to avoid the straw interfering with the collection and intake of the crop.